Radio telephone holder with battery charging and movable cradle having telephone lock

Abstract

A radio telephone cradle for holding a handset and providing a battery recharging facility. A catch is provided for securing the handset relative to the cradle member to maintain electrical contact between the telephone's battery and the charger when the telephone is stowed in the cradle.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A combined portable telephone holder and battery charger comprising: 
       a cradle member having a portable telephone receiving compartment and a stationary peg section located in the receiving compartment; and  
       means, connected to the cradle member, for supplying electric current to a battery in the portable telephone when the portable telephone is inserted into the receiving compartment,  
       wherein the electric current supplying means comprises an electrical spring contact in the receiving compartment adapted to bias the portable telephone into a locked position against the stationary peg section, wherein the peg section protrudes from a wall of the receiving compartment in an angled direction generally towards the spring contact and, wherein the spring contact is deflectable to allow a user to move the portable telephone away from the stationary peg section to an unlocked position.  
     
     
       2. A holder for charging a radio telephone battery disposed within a housing, comprising a cradle member, means for supplying charging current for charging the battery, an electrical contact disposed to allow electrical contact between the battery and the means for supplying charging current upon positioning the housing in the cradle member, and an element disposed on the cradle member for cooperating in abutting relation with a complementary element fixed in relation to the housing, and for releasably locking the housing relative to the cradle member in such a position that electrical contact between the battery and the means for supplying charging current is maintained, the contact extending into a bottom of a housing receiving area of the cradle member and the element on the cradle member being spaced from the bottom at an upper area of the housing receiving area that receives a middle or top end of the battery, wherein the abutting relation is maintained by a spring bias of the holder and the element disposed on the cradle member is sized and shaped such that the housing must be displaced with support from the spring bias to interlockingly engage the housing with the element disposed on the cradle member. 
     
     
       3. A holder according to  claim 2 , wherein the element disposed on the cradle member comprises a fixed protrusion for engagement with a complementary slot. 
     
     
       4. A holder according to  claim 2 , wherein the housing comprises a radio telephone apparatus. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus comprising a radio telephone battery disposed within a housing, a cradle member, means for supplying charging current for charging the battery, an electrical contact disposed to allow electrical contact between the battery and the means for supplying charging current on positioning the housing in the cradle member, an element disposed on the cradle member for cooperating in abutting relation with a complementary element fixed in relation to the housing, and releasably locking the housing relative to the cradle member in such a position that electrical contact between the battery and the means for supplying charging current is maintained, wherein the abutting relation is maintained by the element on the cradle member being angled towards a bottom of a housing receiving area of the cradle member and by a spring bias to disengage the housing from the element disposed on the cradle member. 
     
     
       6. A holder according to  claim 5 , wherein the element disposed on the cradle member comprises a fixed protrusion for engagement with a complementary slot. 
     
     
       7. A holder according to  claim 5 , wherein the housing comprises a radio telephone apparatus. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus comprising a radio telephone battery disposed within a housing, a cradle member, means for supplying charging current for charging the battery, an electrical contact disposed to allow electrical contact between the battery and the means for supplying charging current on positioning the housing in the cradle member, and an element disposed on the cradle member for cooperating in abutting relation with a complementary element fixed in relation to the housing, and releasably locking the housing relative to the cradle member in such a position that electrical contact between the battery and the means for supplying charging current is maintained, wherein the abutting relation is maintained by a spring bias of the holder, and the element disposed on the cradle member is sized and shaped such that the housing must be displaced with support from the spring bias to engage the housing with the element disposed on the cradle member. 
     
     
       9. A holder according to  claim 8 , wherein the element disposed on the cradle member comprises a fixed protrusion for engagement with a complementary slot. 
     
     
       10. A holder according to  claim 8 , wherein the housing comprises a radio telephone apparatus.